Runaway
by Gijinka Renamon
Summary: A companion story to Somewhere I Belong, but slightly different than that one. Set to Linkin Park's Runway in Genis' P.O.V.


Runaway

Disclaimer: Do I have to repeat myself? Tales of Symphonia is not mine, and neither is any Linkin Park song.

-

I fall to my knees and sob loudly. Marble is gone, and I don't know what to do!

If only . . . if only . . . there was a way to change everything . . .

_Graffiti decorations  
Under the sky of dust  
A constant wave of tension  
On top of broken trust  
The lessons that you taught me  
I learned were never true_

"Lloyd! Look what you have done! I thought we were finally going to be left in peace, but now you had to screw things up! People are dead and houses are destroyed, and it's all your fault!"

The mayor's harsh words bring me to my senses. Instinctively, I rush in front of Lloyd and shout, "Wait! It's not his fault! I took him to the Human Ranch!"

"Genis . . ."

_Now I find myself in question  
they point the finger at me again  
Guilty by association  
you point the finger at me again  
_

"So you both broke the treaty?" The mayor asks, trying to hide his anger, and failing miserably.

"But the Desians broke the treaty and attacked the temple, remember?" Lloyd protests.

"That's different," the mayor replies with a wave of his hand. "And in any case not only did you go to the Human Ranch when you weren't supposed to you interacted with one of the prisoners!"

"Yeah!" exclaims a woman. "It's better just to let them die as long as no one in the village gets harmed!"

I can only stare at them in anger. _**You humans are all alike,** _I think, **_only caring about yourselves!_**

_I wanna run away  
Never say goodbye  
I wanna know the truth  
Instead of wondering why  
I wanna know the answers  
No more lies  
I wanna shut the door  
And open up my mind_

The mayor clears his throat and announces, "It seems I have no choice. By the power vested in me, I declare you, Lloyd Irving and you, Genis Sage, to be banished from Iselia, FOREVER!"

Some people gasp. I hear a woman asking the mayor something, but my mind is numb to hear what she's saying or the mayor's response. Beside me, Lloyd slumps to the ground.

It's not fair . . .

_Paper bags and angry voices  
Under a sky of dust  
Another wave of tension  
Has more than filled me up  
All my talk of taking action  
These words were never true  
_

A little bit later, I wait by the remains of my house as Lloyd gathers his things.

I can't believe we have to leave Iselia. It's not fair! We tried to save Marble, and now we're being punished for it!

I am shaken out of my angry thoughts when I feel Lloyd's hand on my shoulder.

_Now I find myself in question  
they point the finger at me again  
Guilty by association  
you point the finger at me again_

"Are you ready to go?" he asks. I nod, and we walk towards the gateway out of Iselia. I feel the cold stares upon us, and I shiver inwardly, though I refuse to let them see my anger and my sadness.

After a while, we reach a nice shady spot to sit down. Lloyd sits against a tree with his hands behind his head. Noishe – who is traveling with us – lies down on the other side.

_I wanna run away  
Never say goodbye  
I wanna know the truth  
Instead of wondering why  
I wanna know the answers  
No more lies  
I wanna shut the door  
And open up my mind_

I still can't help but think about everything that's happened. It just doesn't seem right. Oh well, the least we can do now is try to catch up with Colette and help her on her journey of world regeneration.

But something still bugs me. I need to ask. I need to know!

"Lloyd?"

_I'm gonna run away, and never say goodbye  
Gonna run away _

_Gonna run away  
I'm gonna run away and never wonder why  
Gonna run away _

_Gonna run away  
I'm gonna run away and open up my mind  
Gonna run away _

_Gonna run away_

_Gonna run away_

_Gonna run away_

He turns to look at me, his red-amber eyes shining.

"Yeah?"

"D-do you think they'll let us back if we find Colette and the others, and help regenerate the world?"

He just smiles and leans back against the tree.

"Yeah, I hope so."  
_  
I wanna run away  
Never say goodbye  
I wanna know the truth  
Instead of wondering why  
I wanna know the answers  
No more lies  
I wanna shut the door  
And open up my mind_

Somehow, that answer satisfies me. I lean back and close my eyes.

Hopefully, we'll be able to make for everything wrong we've done.

After all, there has to be someplace in this world for a pair of runaways.

_I wanna run away and open up my mind _

_I wanna run away and open up my mind_

_I wanna run away and open up my mind_

_I wanna run away and open up my mind_


End file.
